The President of the United States of America, authorized by Act of Congress, July 9, 1918, takes pleasure in presenting the Distinguished Service Cross to Sergeant George W. Powell (ASN: 1282737), United States Army, for extraordinary heroism in action while serving with Company B, 111th Machine-Gun Battalion, 29th Division, American Expeditionary Forces, near Verdun, France, 12 October 1918. After all the men of his command except himself and two other soldiers had been killed or wounded, Sergeant Powell took charge of a machine-gun and remained in an isolated position for four days, keeping his men constantly in action and inflicting many casualties on the enemy.